A Tribute: Andrew Van Den Dungen

By Bob McLellan

‘Vanders’ has become a wonderful contributor to our Club over the years. He was Best Clubman in 2004 along with Phil Adamis. He played in the 2006 Seniors Grand Final and has been Assistant Coach of the Seniors for the past few years. Despite this, the only photo we have of him appears to be from CCTV footage

Some of you may remember how Andrew ‘Fish’ Mullett, our Club’s master wordsmith, back in 1999 decided to try his hand at poetry “to lift our spirits on Thursday nights”. In his chapter ‘Desperate Days’, The Benchwarmer reflects on a season almost saved by “the power of the pen” – The Seniors finished 4th & Reserves were Premiers. 21 years later Fish is just as active at our Club.

Fish goes on to say how cult hero Andrew ‘Pidgeon’ Van Den Dungen entered the literary limelight and reminds us that Andrew was then a relatively new player “shy, quiet, but harboured a quiet determination to do well.” He became a 150-game veteran.

Read ‘The Ballad of Vanders’, page 137 in ‘A Tribute’

Here is a taste –

‘Kick the ball to Vanders boys!

He’ll mark the thing for sure

His long and penetrating boot

Will soon reverse the score…”